Halloween at the Ranch
by butterfly collective
Summary: This story takes place on Halloween not long after Meanwhile Back at the Ranch FF story and both Matt and C.J. have different ways of getting in the spirit and dealing with spirits.


Halloween 2-another FF story for the upcoming holiday, hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

(Three months after Meanwhile Back at the Ranch)

C.J. placed the carved pumpkin on the steps in the front door of the ranch house, after having carved two eyes, a noise and a tooth gapped grin on its front, next to another that had a scarier face with a mouth filled with sharp teeth that had been carved by Murray who had just dropped by from a day at the office with a pile worth of paperwork for them to sign and a long monologue of travails that he had experienced that day.

She had shushed him about fifteen minutes into it and handed him some freshly made apple cider spiked with something stronger to calm the corporate president down. They along with Bo and Lamar and Lulu had been preparing for the first Halloween Party to be held at the ranch in several years and the ranch hands and Lulu had spent the day decorating for the festivities, by placing various renditions of skeletons, ghosts and other customary holiday fare around the paddock area and inside the barn where the guests would congregate later for the traditional ghost stories.

Matt had business to conduct in L.A. and had flown the helicopter out to some meetings with clients of his investigative firm in several areas of the city. The traffic in that city had turned into major gridlock and so flying above it all just seemed more practical than driving and Matt wanted to get his business conducted so that he could fly back to his ranch and be reunited with his wife as they hosted their first Halloween Party while sharing the same last name.

She smiled at that because once he had proposed to her in their favorite hideaway spot on the ranch; the trip to the altar had been rather quick. A small, intimate wedding on the ranch in front of family and friends, a lively reception and a two week honeymoon in one of their favorite spots, Tahiti. Then after a quick visit to Vince and his family in Hawaii, it had been back to work, back to living on the ranch and preparing for the arrival of their first child in about five months.

Taking the day off from her own workload to prepare for the party had been a godsend because she had really enjoyed herself working on the food with Bo and Lamar who had spent two days perfecting three different types of chili for their guests' different palates. And having plenty of apples picked from the orchard for pies, for freshly made cider and for Bo's pet pig, Beulah who was expecting herself.

"That pumpkin looks crooked," Murray said, examining the display.

C.J. took another look at it.

"No, I think it adds to the character," she said, "Lulu's bringing out a crying baby ghoul pumpkin when she's done."

Murray nodded.

"I still think you should have gone with the catering…"

C.J. shook her head.

"No, there's got to be chili," she said, "It's tradition."

Murray knew better at this point than to argue to a pregnant woman about tradition. C.J. just looked at him standing there and brushed off her hands. She had been busy since sunup and had to change into her costume later on which she had been working on but had to alter to accommodate her changing body. And then the final preparations…the party and then some relaxation with her husband afterward.

"When are the others from the office coming," Murray asked.

"Chris, Michelle, Rebecca and several others are carpooling up here," she said, "Slade's got his new girlfriend and after he's done with the yearlings, he'll be over to tend bar."

Yes, her ex who had been a financial whiz turned rancher had finally found a woman who shared his interests named Colleen and although she lived in San Diego, she seemed to spend more time on his ranch than back there. C.J. had met her and had seen her quite a few times and liked the redheaded computer programmer.

"That's good," Murray said, shifting the position of one of the jack o lanterns just slightly, "Traffic will be much lighter on the way back than it's out here."

Lulu came out with her finished pumpkin and with Murray's direction, placed it on the other ledge by the steps.

"That pulp is just gross," she said, "I think I've seen enough of it."

C.J. nodded.

"It's okay," she said, "I've got Houston's pumpkin from last night. It's in the frig if you want to bring it out."

Lulu nodded back.

"The cowboy one, right?"

C.J. smiled, as if it would be difficult for anyone who knew him to figure out. Lulu went to get it. Bo and Lamar walked up at that point.

"How are things going with the chili dishes guys?"

Lamar took off his hat.

"Just fine," he said, "There's mild, medium, and the extra hot chili for those who can cotton to it."

"That's great."

Bo chuckled.

"And the barn looks great," he said, "Perfect for telling stories for the kids and Lamar even made a costume for Beulah."

Lamar nodded.

"That's if she will even wear it," he said, "She's got a mind of her own."

C.J. smiled.

"Well she's in the family way Lamar," she said, "and that can make you a little ornery sometimes."

Lamar shook his head.

"It was Bo's fault she got out that day…"

C.J. just chuckled and left the two men to debate that while she headed back into the house.

* * *

Matt picked up his uncle Roy at the penthouse suite in the main office just before he was going to head to refuel the helicopter and then back to the ranch for the party. The meetings had gone much better than expected, but it had been difficult to keep his mind on them.

"Are you ready to go," Roy asked.

Matt nodded and then they headed towards the waiting helicopter. Then Matt remembered.

"Oh damn, I forgot something."

Roy looked at him inquisitively.

"What?"

Matt sighed.

"I promised C.J. I'd bring her some of her favorite cupcakes," she said, "You know the ones at the bakery down the street with the white frosting. I don't know why but in the past couple of weeks, she's been after them."

Roy smiled.

"That's normal for a woman in her condition," he said, "Your Aunt Flo had a craving for garlic muffins when she was pregnant with Will."

Matt smiled.

"She might come after me if I forget," he said, "She ate the last one last night."

Roy nodded.

"You can't leave here without getting some so why don't we head on over and get them and then leave. It will only take a few minutes."

"What about our costumes?"

Roy raised a brow.

"We'll change when we get back," he said, "I wouldn't think you'd want to be seen in downtown L.A. wearing yours."

"Good point…"

"Let's get a move on."

Matt said okay and then they headed to the elevator to go on this critical errand.

* * *

C.J. looked at the chili vats closely. She had sampled the different batches and they had been delicious. But that had always been one of her favorite foods and judging by her eating habits lately, her baby would come out with a craving for pinto beans and jalapenos as Matt had teased.

She smiled when she thought about him, thinking that life now couldn't get any better. She loved the life they had carved out for themselves on their ranch, dividing their time between their rustic lifestyle here and their careers in the big city. She had been dividing her time between handling court cases in L.A. and doing legal research here along with helping the local ranchers in their issues with the bank that held their mortgages although that had mainly settled with the ranchers prevailing and keeping their spreads.

And she had begun working on getting their home ready for their upcoming arrival after picking out the room for the nursery. She hadn't really gone shopping yet but she had sat in that room and planned out its design including the paint colors she would use to transform it into the perfect room for their baby. Excitement filled her along with a little nervousness now and then because she didn't have much experience with her own mother and no siblings. What kind of mother would she be to her own child and how on earth would she figure it out? Not that she would ever be alone and somehow she and Matt would find their way towards being parents.

She felt a pang of sadness amid her happiness as she often did when she thought of her parents whose memories she had of them were cherished, her few photos of her mother and father pressed into a photo album, their edges yellowed by the passage of years.

"Hey this is looking great…"

C.J. turned around and smiled when she saw Chris and Michelle walking into the area where Bo and Lamar had labored over the chili. Chris had dressed up like a cat and Michelle, a go-go dancer.

"Don't tell us you're going as the proverbial pregnant woman," Chris said, "Come on, we got to go get you fixed up."

"I don't know if you can do that," C.J. said, "I'm kind of filling out even as we speak."

Chris rolled her eyes.

"You look lovely as always," she said, "pregnancy and marriage clearly suit you."

C.J. couldn't argue with that.

"It's been wonderful," she said, "Challenging given our personalities but I don't know it's like our friendship's grown deeper and well there are fringe benefits."

Chris nodded.

"Well he always did look great in a pair of chaps."

She looked at the chili spreads.

"I'm impressed," she said, "Bo and Lamar have certainly been at it."

C.J. nodded.

"Three days solid and most nights," she said, "When they're not doing chores."

Chris took some samples of each vat.

"Very tasty," she said, "I think like Goldilocks, I would say the medium is just right."

Bo and Lamar came over to try to charm the ladies.

"You're looking very nice in those costumes," Bo said and Lamar nodded.

They thanked the two cowhands and the three women headed off to get some apple cider and catch up.

* * *

Matt and Roy headed down the bustling street outside their office building in downtown L.A. towards the shop where waiting were plenty of C.J.'s favorite cupcakes. As they got there, an older man with dark hair sprinkled with grey stepped in front of them.

"Are you going inside," he asked.

Matt thought it to be an odd question and just looked at Roy before answering.

"Yes we are," he said, "Are you the storeowner?"

The man shook his head and Matt found himself looking into the man's face, which looked younger than he had initially thought. And starting back at him were eyes that appeared…familiar.

"Do I…"

The man looked at him and just shook his head.

"The time is not right…"

Then he walked away and Matt just looked at him in puzzlement. When he turned back to look at the man again, he had vanished.

"What the…"

Roy just looked at him.

"The guy must move quickly," he said, "Come on we should go inside so we can leave for the party."

So they walked inside the shop which had an aisle in between it, carrying various dessert foods but most of the bakery items were encased in glass and were on display. The man standing behind the cashier stood frozen and as he looked at them, shook his head slightly.

Matt frowned, and then took in the sights inside the shop. A couple people stood just as frozen and somewhere inside Matt, his training and experience finally translated to him what that meant.

Roy took it all in at the same time.

"It's a holdup," he whispered quickly.

Matt nodded subtly.

And suddenly enough, another figure appeared, a youngish man with unkempt hair sticking out from a mask of a clown's face. The rest of him looked dressed in black and in his hand, was a handgun, which he now pointed at Matt and Roy.

"One move and I'll smoke you…"

Matt evaluated the situation quickly and sensed that the mask hid volatility inside the robber that could erupt into violence in an instant, the time it would take him to press the trigger. His heartbeat began to accelerate and he focused on keeping his breathing calm and steady. Any false move…and none of them would be getting out of the shop alive.

The man gestured with the gun for the two men to move next to the other hostages. Matt's eyes met with Roy's and he knew they both were trying to come up with a plan.

In the midst of all the chaos, Matt thought of his wife and how much he wanted to see her again.

* * *

C.J. looked away from her conversation with Chris and Michelle for a moment and she put her glass of apple cider down.

This nagging thought had bubbled up from where an icicle had sliced her insides, leaving her feeling chilled for a moment. Where had that come from, because here she sat happily preparing for a party with family and friends and awaiting Matt's arrival and suddenly she felt apprehensive?

"What's wrong?"

She looked up at Chris who had stopped talking about her trip to Napa Valley. She caught herself.

"Sorry just a pregnant moment…"

"A pregnant pause," Chris asked.

"Something like that," she said, "Matt's probably on his way back. He said that he and Roy were bringing the helicopter back after they were done at work."

Chris nodded.

"Yeah I saw them both earlier today," she said, "Roy handled some cases and Matt popped in between meetings."

Michelle concurred.

"They both looked happy," she said, "Looking forward to the party."

C.J. knew they'd be landing on the helipad outside the ranch house soon, but she would feel better when they arrived and she could see them. Not to mention feeling the strong embrace of a certain man's arms around her. Oh she definitely looked forward to that.

* * *

Matt kept his eyes on the robber, whose mouth was frozen in a leer from wearing a mask. The man appeared young and mercurial, all over the place emotionally. He had forced everyone into a tight group at the rear of the store.

"I don't have any more money in my drawer," the cashier protested.

The man didn't appear to be moved.

"Then get into the safe."

"I need the manager for that," the cashier said, "It takes three employees including a supervisor and manager to open it…you know to prevent robberies…"

The man aimed the gun back at him.

"Don't be smart," he said, "or I'll blow a hole right through you, and Halloween will have a few more real ghosts wandering among the costumes."

Matt looked at Roy and he knew his uncle had been trying to assess the serious of the man's threats along with his general instability. They both guessed that for the time being, it was best to go along with the man's demands.

"You two stay where I can see you," the man ordered, while waving the gun at them.

Matt and Roy stood still, not wanting to do anything to set the robber off on a shooting spree. He was by himself and clearly unstable, maybe robbing money to buy his next fix of drugs. Sweat dripped around and from behind his mask and his shirt looked damp in spots.

And the hand which held the gun tightly also trembled slightly.

"All right no more delay," the robber said, "I want the money, all of it from the safe right now."

"But…."

The gun moved closer and the cashier swallowed noisily.

"Call the manager and tell him to get his ass down here to open it or a bunch of people are going to get shot."

The cashier nodded, if only to play along with him. Matt looked over at Roy and sidled closer to his uncle as slowly as possible. The older man looked totally calm sitting there in his suit with the carnation in the lapel. But then he had been a covert operative for decades so obviously it took more than a hostage situation to raise his blood pressure.

"He's growing more unstable by the moment," Matt said, "He could go off at any provocation even imagined."

Roy nodded.

"We'd better proceed cautiously," he said, "and wait for an opportunity to make a move."

Matt wondered if that would ever happen while looking at the man waving his gun around and hassling the cashier who had gotten on the phone probably to call his manager. It would only take pressing the trigger several times to eliminate all his hostages so they could never be witnesses. Matt had been in dangerous situations all of his life, countless times beginning while growing up on a Texan ranch. Then it had been the military stint, his traveling and penchant for adrenalin sports and of course, his investigative work. He'd even see his life flash in front of his eyes numerous times but right now, he didn't see his past but his future.

The man waving the gun in front of him faded, until he had blurred into the plethora of visions of himself living on his ranch with his beautiful wife of course and surrounded by children running around with an assortment of horses, dogs and one determined porcine who fancied a bow on her forelock. Having children sitting on his knee outside on the porch on afternoons, tucking them in beds with stories about the ancestors who fleshed out his and his children's family trees with their adventures including back to when they first settled in Texas. Taking his sons and daughters out riding around the spread and teaching them all about taking care of it with love and respect until they too reached the time in their lives to pass it to their children.

Matt saw a life ahead of him that he wanted very much and no one was going to take it away from him.

"_The time is not right…"_

He turned around slightly to see who had whispered those words in his ear but saw no one.

* * *

C.J. looked at her watch. Most of her guests and their families had arrived and the adults sat back and enjoyed apple cider and appetizers while their children laughed and played in costume on the wide open space led by Bo and Lamar. Lulu had been wonderful making sure the kids and the ranch hands didn't get too rowdy, clearly having everything under control. Murray supervised the chili vats until it was time to eat.

She had been checking on everything while dressed up a flamenco dance and had finally been forced to sit down for a rest by Chris and Michelle who told her everything was going just fine. They knew she was concerned that Matt hadn't arrived yet with Roy and that neither had called ahead. C.J. had checked her cell and house phones and no calls or messages so far.

"It's not like him," she said, "He's really good about calling and I haven't even heard from Roy."

Chris shrugged.

"Maybe he's just running late and just hasn't called."

"It's just strange," C.J. said, "I hope everything's okay."

"I'm sure it is," Chris said, "Maybe he had some errands to do."

C.J. knew that could be the case but he usually called her especially after she had gotten pregnant. The hair on the back of her neck prickled almost as a cool breeze had caressed it. She felt unsettled at that moment and didn't know why. Damn, she wished wherever he was right now, he would just head on back to the ranch to her.

She knew that she might see other days like this one where she might be waiting for him to come home from a day spent investigating. He might be running a few minutes late, might be in too much of a rush to call her or…he could be…no she closed those thoughts off before they could really begin to gel inside of her. She wouldn't think about what might happen if he just never came home at all.

A lot could go wrong on many of the cases that they had handled and it had in the past as both of them knew but they had survived that. Had it been luck or something else? No she couldn't think about this any further; she had to focus on the here and now.

Matt and Roy were probably on their way to the ranch right now and she would be seeing them soon.

* * *

The two of them hadn't known how much time had passed since they had first walked into the bakery shop. The light streaming into the windows seemed to dim somewhat and the vehicle traffic outside grew louder in intensity. The man still waved the gun at them and kept threatening to shoot them if they moved an inch. Matt and Roy had finally been forced to sit on the floor with the other hostages.

The two of them had thought about texting someone to call 911, but realized that the police arriving might actually increase the danger if this volatile man felt trapped inside without anything to lose. Between the two of them, they should be able to come up with some plan to disable him before he hurt or killed anyone but they would have to watch and wait, biding their time.

Matt realized that C.J. was probably back on the ranch at the party wondering what the hell was taking him so long and where he was right now. She might call the police or Hoyt at some point but she might wait a little longer before doing that and wouldn't want to upset anyone at the party. He closed his eyes for a second imagining her there, tending to her guests, her dark hair flowing in curls brushing her shoulders and a smile on her face. Not quite the same one she had used on him when she seduced him in the small stable, the day that they had conceived their child, but one that made everyone around her feel welcome and at home.

Then after the guests went back home, the two of them would have the ranch house and the rest of the night to themselves. He looked back at his marriage as the best thing that ever happened to him. Yes, being the player on the social scene with a string of different women had been fun at the time but everything in his past paled in comparison to his life now. When he had stood with his bride in front of a minister and said his vows, he had never been as sure as anything in his life. Then when he had taken her hand and they had hit the dance floor…

"_She's was so beautiful that day as I imagined," a voice said, "Every father's dream for his daughter is to walk her down the aisle, another form of goodbye…"_

Matt furrowed his brow and wondered again if he was hearing things, or a memory had just spoken to him, with its vivid remembrance. After all, C.J. had been a beautiful bride and when he saw her on Roy's arm walking down the aisle strewn with white rose petals, his heart had swelled, his eyes had grown damp. She had looked at him as she approached with a shy smile and he had taken a step closer to her.

Roy looked over at him as they sat on the dusty floor of the bakery.

"Are you okay," he asked.

Matt pulled himself away from that memorable day and nodded, his mind already working.

* * *

C.J. had decided to feed her hungry guests and Bo and Lamar had ladled out bowls of each flavor of chili and all of them went quickly. She told the ranch hands to save some for Matt and Roy when they arrived.

The sky had grown a beautiful palate of colors from reddish-orange to bluish-purple and the stars began to appear in the darkened sky in clusters. Still no signs of Matt or Roy and no phone calls. So she had gotten on the phone to Hoyt who had been working the late shift.

"C.J. there's no reports coming in about either of them," Hoyt said, "In fact, it's a quiet night of parties and trick or treating."

She sighed, running her hand through her hair.

"It's just that it's not like him not to call," she said, "He never wants me to worry about him especially now."

"I'll give him a call on my cell and tell him that you're waiting to hear from him."

"I left messages for him," C.J. said, "I sound like the nagging wife…"

"No, you're just concerned and you haven't heard from him which is unusual," Hoyt said, "You're right to be concerned but everything's probably fine."

At least he hadn't mentioned that she was hormonal.

"I don't know Hoyt," she said, "I'm starting to get worried."

"I'll tell him that too when I reach him," he said, "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about and that he's just running late."

C.J. knew that had to be the case in all probability but her intuition was just working over-time.

"Thanks Hoyt," she said before clicking off her phone.

Chris looked up at her.

"What'd he say?"

C.J. slipped the phone back into her pocket.

"That he's probably simply running late," she said.

"Well he's probably right."

C.J. still didn't feel any better and frowned.

"What if he's not?"

Chris sipped her cider.

"Matt's a smart guy and he's very resourceful and very good at what he does," she said, "That'll help him take care of himself in most situations."

C.J. knew her friend was right but why didn't she feel that inside? Why did she suddenly miss him so much?

Chris looked at her and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Everything's going to be fine…"

C.J. forced a smile on her face.

"You're right…let's go take the kids out into barn for the ghost stories."

* * *

Matt just looked at the robber, jab the gun into the side of the hapless cashier who had just gotten off the phone with the manager who apparently wasn't going to come running on down to open the safe for some cranked out robber. It also meant he would probably call the police which in all likelihood would at least extend the time spent being held hostage at the mercy of this young punk. Matt had no intention of getting caught up in that and he knew the lives of others would be at risk especially if the robber decided he had nothing to lose so he might as well go out in a blaze of glory with a bunch of innocent hostages.

"I think I'm going to distract his attention…"

Roy shot a look his way.

"He's going to go crazy now that he knows he's not getting the cash in the safe."

Matt nodded; knowing by the way the sweat had began to really pour off of the guy and his tense posture that they didn't have a whole lot of time left. So he began to reach across to his own ankle holster where he had his own gun. His fingers itched to grab it as he watched the man carefully as he paced back and forth fuming that his plan had clearly not gone according to schedule. He had planned to grab a lot of cash, get away to meet his connection to get his next fix and maybe have a spending spree on the side.

But no, the safe would remain locked and the relative petty cash he had received from the cash register wouldn't keep him happy or high for very long. He went to grab it quickly.

"_The time isn't right…"_

There came that unknown voice again, like a gravely whisper from no one sitting next to him in the bakery. He didn't bother looking around this time but he did listen to it. Obviously it was serving to warn him to be careful for some reason, he had to trust it and somewhere deep inside himself down ot his marrow, he knew he could.

He turned to Roy.

"We've got to wait a few…"

Roy nodded and looked back at the robber.

"That may be all we've got…"

* * *

C.J. sat on the floor on some blankets that Bo and Lamar had taken out to spread across the floor so that everyone could sit in a circle and haloed by some electric lanterns, they could listen to the two ranch hands and any brave volunteers weave some scary stories.

She half listened because she worried about Matt, really much so now because it was past dark and still no word for him and Roy. She had called Hoyt back and this time he told her that Matt hadn't returned his phone messages either so he was going to send a patrol out to the office building where Matt had been heading the last time she had spoken to him.

"He'll turn up," Hoyt promised, "and I'll make sure he gets back home."

"It's not like him," she said, "and don't try to dissuade me otherwise."

Hoyt knew better than to do that at this point because he had been concerned himself. After all, Matt had been one of his closest friends for years and the man didn't have a flaky bone in his body especially when it came to his family and friends, especially when it came to the woman he loved. Hoyt had been his best man at their wedding and the look that he saw in his friend's eye during the ceremony, it had been raw emotion and thus priceless in his mind. From a man clearly in love with his best friend and excited about sharing their lives together with their children. No, he would send some patrols out immediately and then he would follow up personally.

C.J. clicked off her phone knowing Hoyt would do his best, being the consummate professional at his job and she had to keep her spirits high and a smile on her face so her guests wouldn't worry and would continue to have a good time. They hadn't really asked where Matt was, preferring to let it go and to continue on with the festivities.

"And so when the wagons of the pioneers walked past the gorge, in the dead of night on the darkest night of the year, they would hear the mourning cries of the lost settlers…"

The children remained spellbound and so did some of the adults. Bo and Lamar being old cowboys sure know how to spin good stories filled with detail so vivid you could almost believe they were true. C.J.'s eyes kept wandering to the bar door. She heard the snores of Beulah who had passed out after eating her apple dumplings and the soft neigh of Cheyenne, Matt's prize filly right next to her own mare.

Then her eyes narrowed, for sitting on the edge of the group sat a small boy she hadn't seen before with curly dark hair and brown eyes. She hadn't noticed him before and thought he looked about five. He had wandered over to where the horses stayed and had looked back at her, unblinking. She almost got up to check on him and then something stopped her.

_Who are you, she wondered_.

A voice filled her mind, soft like a whisper.

_Royal James, of course, your brains, his looks. _

She smiled at that and she watched the child reach a hand slowly towards Cheyenne, who had stuck her head out over the stall door.

_Now is not time _

C.J. blinked and then she looked up again and saw nothing. She must be seeing things again, fair enough considering the holiday. Damn but if that voice hadn't been familiar…no it must be some sort of daydream.

Chris looked over at her and she just smiled, even as she looked over towards the horse stalls again.

* * *

Matt decided to get closer to where the robber had been jabbering even as he held his arm around the cashier's neck. Apparently in his state, he had forgotten everyone else there. Matt got down low, scrambling on the ground, inch by inch. The others just watched silently.

"He's not looking…"

Matt looked up and an older man with a mustache looked at him and he nodded back. He had reached down into his holster and gotten his handgun. He kept it with him, even as he moved closer, even more slowly than before. His chest scraped against the floor and he kept his head up to try to keep an eye on the robber.

He moved past two other people sitting on the floor, cramped together next to the aisle. He looked back at his uncle who nodded slowly.

_The time is now… _

He didn't react to the voice that he had heard except to look up and suddenly, the man that he had bumped into him outside, the one who he believed now had been warning him of the danger inside, sat there on the floor next to a young woman, who just stared out in shock and didn't appear to notice him much. How had the man gotten inside the store without being noticed especially during a robbery?

The question had just been idle curiosity because his focus had been on getting them all out of there by disabling the robber as quickly as possibly before he could hurt anyone. So he crept even closer to the man who still had his back turned, he moved up into a crouch and then he counted to three.

And then he leaped up over the counter in a single motion.

C.J. looked up then, when something had suddenly appeared in front of her, a vision of her sitting on the back porch in the chair looking out into the setting sun. Her arms had been around a child who wiggled in her embrace eager to join a man who had just finished working his spirited paint filly in the paddock.

When the man approached her with a smile, she released the child who sprinted as fast as his little legs could carry him to be swung up into his father's arms.

She savored that picture she had of them together until the details became less refined and it had ebbed in front of her.

And then she relaxed, as she felt a hand on her shoulder, a pressure that comforted her. She didn't need to look up as the familiar scent of tobacco and cologne that she had never forgotten even as the memories of what he looked like had faded.

_You have all the time now…_

And a tear slipped out of her eye and down her face, as she smiled with the joy of being surrounded by her family. She didn't question how it was possible, just accepted it as the miracle that had appeared.

Matt watched as Hoyt directed the police officers to handcuff the disarmed robber who looked more bewildered at this point than anything else.

"Who is he," he asked.

Hoyt shrugged.

"He didn't have ID and he's not talking."

Matt just nodded as he watched the other hostages surround his uncle as if unsure that the danger had really passed. Roy knew how to reassure people in ways that many did not so Matt knew they were in good hands.

He stood alone by the alley outside the bakery watching the bustling activity, interjected with groups of costumed kids going looking for treats in the business district where employees dropped handfuls of candy into the kids' bags. Then he felt a hand rest on his shoulder and the scent of cologne tinged by smoke.

He just looked straight ahead.

"Who are you and why did you warn us outside the store?"

He thought he heard a sigh and a new emotion fill the man's voice.

"_Long ago…I was like you about to enter into a store and someone warned me…I didn't listen…you see I was buying my daughter's favorite cupcakes, they have this white frosting like snow…and I just didn't listen…"_

"And something bad happened," Matt guessed.

"_Yes…the decision you can make in a split second, the warnings you miss can change your whole life," the voice continued, "Live each second as if it's your last and say goodbye to the ones you love as if for the last time."_

Matt narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?"

He felt the man's smile that he couldn't see and a sparkle in an invisible eye.

"_Tell my little girl I love her…"_

Matt's heart skipped a beat and he turned around then and didn't see anyone. His uncle walked over to where he stood, frozen for a moment.

"Uncle Roy, have you ever experienced something you can't explain…"

His uncle didn't look surprised by the question.

"Life is filled with surprises and unexplained events," he said, "and would you expect anything different on Halloween?"

"I… guess not."

Roy put his arm around his nephew's shoulder.

"Come on…we've got a party to get to and we're running just a little bit late…"

C.J. snuggled closer to husband a lot later, after the party had finally wound down and everyone had gone home. She had done some cleaning with Bo and Lamar but had just decided to wait until the next day because after all, Matt had come home and thus she had better things to do with her time.

Just when she had been about to call Hoyt for the third time, the barn door had opened and in had walked Roy dressed as a pirate and Matt…oh my goodness…as a penguin. She had laughed when she saw that so much that she had forgotten to be worried. He tried to tell her why he had been late in words not to worry her after she had gone up to embrace her penguin tightly.

She put a finger on his lips to stop him.

"It's okay…I know it had to be something major to keep you away but it can wait until morning…What matters is that you're here safe and sound."

He sighed as they pulled apart and he looked at her.

"Damn you look great…why don't we send the guests home early and do some private partying…"

She laughed again, leaning against him.

"We've got to get you both fed and there are still some more stories to tell," she said, "I love the costume by the way. It's definitely…you."

He waggled his brows.

"Well as I recall, we were once on our way to another happening party and you said something about never dating a penguin…"

She smiled and pulled him closer.

"I think we can remedy that…"

So they had played the perfect party hosts until the last guest had departed and then they had gotten down to business…once she found the zipper on the damn penguin costume of course.

A while later, they had settled down and she lay against him as he stroked her hair, which just made her want to close her eyes and snuggle even closer not that he minded at all.

"Life's really wonderful isn't it," she said.

He smiled.

"It most definitely is," he said, "I was thinking about that a lot today."

"Me too…I thought about our family…the one we're building together and how bittersweet it is because we've both lost our parents."

He kissed her lightly on the head.

"C.J. I know that you never really got to have your father around when you needed him growing up," he said, "but he was there as much as he could be like my mother."

She heard the wistfulness in his voice which she recognized so well but he felt her nod.

"I know that now," she said, "if I didn't before. When the people we love die, they never really leave us."

"And now it's going to be our turn to be parents…I can't wait."

"Neither can I," she said, "and in our children both of our families will live on."

He digested that knowing that somehow both of them had made some important realizations on the scariest holiday of the year. Moisture met his fingertips from her eyes, and he knew she was thinking of him.

"C.J. he loved you," he said, "You do know that. He would have been there for you if he could."

She nodded again against him.

"I do know that," she said quietly, "because he was my father."

Outside their window on the porch, the flickering lights of the jack o lanterns flickered until the darkness became light again.


End file.
